Pride
by honeyMellon
Summary: The definition of pride: The consciousness of one's own dignity, a person or thing that is the object or source of a feeling, a feeling of self-respect and personal worth. What will one simple word mean to Renji and Shuuhei?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello~ I'm back! I've been getting a lot of ideas after writing my first ShuuRen...and now I can't stop. This story here is set a few months after "Till Death Do Us Part" and after "Noisy Neighbor", so the plot may make a little more sense if you read those first. **_

_**The usual disclaimer...I don't own Bleach, yada yada. Maybe if I go seduce Kubo-sensei he might give me the rights...oh well a girl can dream. **_

_**This is my first attempt at writing a serialized story…and without further ado here's the first chapter!**_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Humming softly and tapping his right foot in sync to the unknown little tune, Abarai Renji turned the page of the document he was reading. Not for the first time that afternoon, he felt a pair of dark eyes pierce his direction, so he hastily stopped fidgeting and pretended that the document in his hands was the most interesting read in the world. After a few seconds, the tense aura he felt around his head lifted, and he relaxed visibly. After a few minutes, he absent-mindedly started to hum again.

And why shouldn't he be happy? Last night, he had the most mind-blowing sex ever. Just as he thought Shuuhei had shown him everything, the dark-haired man sprang a surprise on him with an exciting new move involving a scarf. Outwardly quiet and stern-looking, the 9th squad Vice Captain and Interim Captain didn't look like your average sex god, but once Renji unlocked his heart, it was like a dam had burst. When they were behind closed doors, Shuuhei's lust for his redheaded lover would spill out and take Renji's breath away.

A not-so-subtle cough brought Renji back to reality, and, shooting a guilty glance at the table across the room, he once again forced his mind to focus on the chicken scratch on the paper in front of him. _God,_ he thought in annoyance, _Can't kids write properly nowadays?_ Then he turned to the next page and saw a completely different handwriting. This one was fluid and elegant...it was Kuchiki Taicho's trademark calligraphy. Apparently the raven-haired captain had already signed the document and was just waiting for Renji's final signoff before they could send this off to the messenger. _How did the man manage to go through so much paperwork and still have the patience to write so beautifully?_ Renji wondered as he hurriedly graced the document with his signature, which was a damn sad sight in comparison.

"Taicho, I'll head over to the messenger's office now," Renji said, his arms full with a stack of processed paperwork. Not even bothering to look up, Kuchiki Byakuya merely waved his hand to acknowledge that he had heard. Shrugging, Renji headed out, but not before he began to hum that annoying tune again.

When the redhead finally left, Byakuya let out a tired sigh and sagged into the seat. Normally, he would rather be dead than be caught sitting with such horrible posture, but today he felt that he deserved a little break. He thought back at the rumor he'd overheard that morning and sighed again.

* * *

..._earlier_ _that morning..._

"_He said Abarai-fukutaicho is _huge_!" A voice rang loud and clear in the courtyard just outside the training hall. A bunch of young unseated officers were resting after a sparring session, and today's topic of discussion was their charismatic vice captain. _

"_But he said it was dark! How can you be sure that he even saw anything?" A ponytailed girl protested. "I bet that Rikichi was just saying it to get attention."_

_One of the boys held up his hands dramatically. "He said it's like, _this big_!" That brought a howl of laughter from the group of young people. "Holy shit that's the length of your freaking katana!" "Hisagi-fukutaicho would be dead!"_

_Around the corner, Byakuya listened, his presence unnoticed by the inexperienced recruits. If they had been just a tiny bit more attentive to their surroundings, they would have felt a sudden flare in Byakuya's spiritual pressure, which was then hastily suppressed once more by the owner._

...

* * *

Was it true, what they said? Did Rikichi really see Renji in the buff...and if so..._how_? And, what was this about Hisagi from the 9th squad? What did the man have to do with his vice captain? With effort, he reigned in his imagination regarding the comment about Abarai's, ah, length.

Even as he continued to process this information in his mind, his inner voice chided him for not piecing this together earlier. The signs had been subtle, but he could pick up some here and there. It started after the weird hollow attacks at Karakura city a few months ago. The 12th squad scientists reported the appearance of abnormally strong hollows in the city and some of the vice captains had gone to the living world to exterminate the beasts, accompanied by the 10th squad captain, Hitsugaya Toushiro. Hisagi got himself seriously injured in the process, rumors had it that he nearly died protecting Renji, and that incident had led to a..._relationship_ between the two vice captains. Despite the rumors, the two men had not shown any public display of affection - well, at least not during work hours - so Byakuya simply accepted it as what it was, just a rumor. However, it did not escape his notice that his vice captain had been happier lately. If the humming and the ever-present stupid smile on his face was not enough, the spring in his steps certainly caught Byakuya's attention.

Now, with the new rumor that Rikichi was apparently spreading, it seemed like the earlier rumors could be true after all. At this thought, Byakuya frowned. Much as he refused to admit, this..._thing_...was bothering him more than it should, and the fact that he was bothered by this bothered him even further. Why should he be concerned about the private lives of a couple of vice captains? _Oh really now? _His inner voice seemed determined to annoy him today. _Are you sure that you're not just concerned about...oh you know...one of them? Oh I won't say who...you know better than anyone..._

"Che!" He spat, straightening up, then he cringed inside. This was just wonderful, now he was talking to himself like a bloody maniac. He felt a sudden rush of anger towards his vice captain. He understood very well that this feeling didn't make sense, but he could not control himself. But outwardly, his face was impassive as ever. If anyone were to pass by his office right now, all they would see was the Kuchiki heir sitting at his desk looking impeccable like always, flipping through documents in his usual quiet, cool manner. Nobody would have guessed that brewing inside Kuchiki Byakuya was an epic battle between his logical mind and his - _gasp_ - heart.

* * *

...

* * *

"Shut up! I need to work you know," Hisagi Shuuhei said in exasperation. He was at his desk, trying really hard to concentrate on the report he was writing. But a certain redhead leaning over his shoulder had other ideas.

"Come on...it's freaking lunch time," Renji complained. "Don't tell me you're skipping lunch again!"

Shuuhei closed his eyes and groaned. "Okay fine. Just...go play or something and let me finish this up. I only have 2 more paragraphs to write then we can go have lunch. Sheesh." Despite his words, the look he gave Renji was one filled with affection. And Renji knew it, because he simply proceeded to poke at the knick knacks on Shuuhei's desk, making a mess and earning a sharp tap on his knuckles in return.

It was way past the usual lunch time by the time the lovers were seated in the restaurant. Renji's stomach rumbled in earnest.

"God, Shuuhei, you need to stop being such a workaholic," Renji said, annoyed. "I hardly get to see you anymore these days!"

Shuuhei chuckled. "Stop whining like a girl, you stupid horny bastard."

"Oh come on! You're never going to let it go huh?" Renji rolled his eyes, blushing slightly. Of course Shuuhei had to bring up that awkward incident again; a few weeks ago, the dark-haired man had walked into Renji's little...personal time, and he hadn't stopped making fun of it since.

After a bit of their usual mock bickering, food finally arrived. As they began to tuck in, Shuuhei said through a mouthful of rice, "So...apparently your little neighbor is a closet voyeur."

Renji groaned and buried his face in his left palm. "God, you heard that too?"

Shuuhei gave a small laugh. "Kind of hard to ignore it around here, especially not when you're now getting quite the reputation as a stud." He teased with a twinkle in his eyes. "Last I heard, you're being compared to Houzukimaru in Shikai form." He was referring to Madarame Ikkaku's zanpakutou. The 3rd seat officer of the 11th squad was well known for his shikai, which had the form of a spear with a wax wood shaft.

The redhead nearly choked on his food laughing. "That's quite flattering," he said. "Although I'd rather be compared to something just a tad thicker." Then he suddenly looked stricken. "Shit, if even _you_ heard about it, Kuchiki-taicho probably has, too! Ah, crap!"

Shuuhei shrugged. "So what if he does?"

"I dunno...you know what a tight-ass he is." Renji said between bites. "He'd probably give me a lecture about not letting personal matters affect my work yada yada..."

"Then _don't_ let it affect your work, idiot," Shuuhei lectured, earning a kick from the redhead under the table. "Come on, eat up, I don't have all day."

* * *

...

* * *

Patting the already-extremely-full backpack one last time, Rukia heaved it over her shoulder with a soft "oof!". She had come back to Soul Society today to give her weekly status report to her captain, Ukitake-taicho. Everytime she did so, she'd stop by the Kuchiki estate to grab some of her stuff - the facial creams in the living world were _terrible_, no wonder they had the illness called acne - before heading back via the personal Kuchiki Senkai gate.

As she hurried down the hallway, she felt a wave of familiar spiritual pressure. Odd, she thought. Nii-sama shouldn't be home at this time. But she decided to take a quick peek into her brother's room anyway, just to make sure she wasn't mistaken. It'd been what - 2 months? - since she last saw Byakuya, she was actually kind of looking forward to see him, if only to say a quick greeting.

In front of Byakuya's room, she hesitated. She felt an oddness to her brother's spiritual pressure, which was disturbing because he was very skilled at controlling it. Tiptoeing softly, she pressed her ears against the door and listened. Muffled coughs came through, followed by a weak moan. Alarmed, she knocked on the door. Nii-sama...sick? In the fifty plus years she'd been adopted into the Kuchiki clan, she had never once seen her brother ill.

"I said not to disturb me." The familiar voice that called out was hoarse and not as full as it usually was. Although nobody would ever dare tell him, Byakuya had a voice that caused many girls to swoon. His low, slightly-nasal voice sent shivers down the spines of his female subordinates, who sometimes even resorted to make mistakes intentionally just to get the chance to hear him lecture them in that buttery voice of his. Unfortunately for them, their captain tended to be disinterested in personally disciplining his officers, preferring to let his vice captain handle it. Not that Abarai-fukutaicho was disappointing to look at, but sometimes his bluntness could get on people's nerves.

"Nii-sama," Rukia called softly. "It's Rukia. Are you alright? Should I send for a healer?"

There was a long pause, then Byakuya finally said, "There's no need to make a fuss over such a petty thing."

Rukia pursed her lips. Her brother had this annoying habit of treating everything as "below him", including his own health. If the matter did not involve the pride of the clan, or the destruction of Soul Society, it wasn't his concern. "I'm coming in," Rukia announced, and then entered the room without waiting for Byakuya's response.

She gasped slightly at the sight that greeted her. Her brother was lying on his bed, his already-fair complexion bordering on yellowish-gray. And his hair! The normally silky and well-kept tresses were draped across his pillow, looking damp and messy. His eyes were half-closed, but Rukia could feel his sharp gaze on her.

"Che. There is nothing to see here," her brother said softly, his voice laced with slight annoyance. Then, he seized up in a fit of coughs, which prompted Rukia to rush to his side.

"Nii-sama! You are _not_ okay!" She admonished. Just six months ago she would not have dared to speak to her brother in such tone, but the incident where she was nearly executed, her brother had relaxed around her significantly, and they finally now shared an almost-normal brother-sister relationship. _Almost_. Byakuya sometimes still tended to treat Rukia as if he was her captain, brother, and father all at once. Annoying at it was, Rukia actually found it quite endearing.

Byakuya flinched when he felt the back of Rukia's palm on his forehead. He really loathe being seen in such condition, but he knew that his sister only had his well-being in mind, so he bit his tongue. "Nii-sama, I think you have a fever. I'm going to send a healer."

Before he could protest, Rukia had flash-stepped out of the room. Muttering - oh, not cussing, Kuchikis never _cuss_ - under his breath, Byakuya turned his head to the side in annoyance. His eyes landed on the backpack that Rukia had left behind. It looked as if it would burst open any moment soon. In fact, the top did pop open suddenly, and a piece of white cloth poked out.

Eh? Byakuya thought. Curious, he gave a quick glance at the door, then, satisfied that he was still alone, craned his neck to see what it was. Ah, that familiar bandana. He could recognize the neat little knot. It was Abarai's trademark white bandana. The only reason the knot was so neat was because it was tied by Rukia. Then he paused and frowned. That bandana and its owner were inseparable. Did this mean that Abarai was going to the living world again? _Oh no he'd better not!_ Byakuya thought, his brows furrowing. _He's already behind on his paperwork as it is!_

He quickly straightened up when he heard footsteps approach the room. Rukia had brought their personal healer, who announced, upon a brief inspection, that the Kuchiki heir was down with a flu. Her hands folded across her chest, Rukia looked on with a motherly frown.

"Che" was all Byakuya said when he caught Rukia staring at him like that. Flu was nothing. Although he had lost track of when he was ill last, a flu was nothing to the great Kuchiki Byakuya, 28th head of the Kuchiki clan.

"Well, I have to go," Rukia said, shouldering the overflowing backpack. She yelped in surprise when the top of the bag opened even wider, causing a bunch of items to fall to the floor. She immediately bent down to scoop things up, but that white bandana had landed close to the bed. Despite the admonishing look from the healer, Byakuya leaned over and picked it up.

"Oh, thanks Nii-sama!" Rukia took the bandana with a smile and quickly tucked it in her pocket.

Forcing himself to look indifferent, Byakuya casually asked, "So Abarai is going with you?"

Rukia looked up, confused. Then she smiled. "Oh, that bandana? No Renji's not going, but he gave me this...asked me to give it to Jinta, that little brat at Urahara's. The boy is surprisingly fond of Renji, so he thought it would be cute to let him have it, as a token of thanks for always freeloading at their place."

An eyebrow cocked in surprise, but Byakuya did not make a sound. He remembered hearing his red-headed vice captain say, a while ago, that this bandana was his life. If you see this bandana abandoned on the ground, it meant that Abarai Renji had perished.

His puzzlement must have been reflected on his features because Rukia decided to elaborate. "Heh, now that he has a new, special one, he doesn't need this one anymore. But anyway, I need to go, see you Nii-sama! Please take care of yourself."

Watching Rukia's back as she exited the room, Byakuya sank into the pillows and shut his eyes. He looked as serene as can be to the healer and servants tending to him, but inside his curiosity grew. He rolled Rukia's words in his mind, wondering what the "new special one" was. _Ah. It must be those stupid, ugly sunglasses that Abarai loved, from...what was that store called again? Hmmm..dragonfly or something. Stupid name._.. And with that thought in his mind, he dozed off.

* * *

**Hopefully this makes you want to know what happens next! ^.^ See you again soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Here comes the second chapter~ A big thanks to fallowell and Cuzosu for reviewing the first chapter! ^.^_**

**_This is a shorter chapter in comparison, I think I didn't do a good job managing the length of that first one, so I'm fixing that for the next ones._**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"Huh, thought you'd get home first," Shuuhei commented as Renji closed the door. Shuuhei had arrived at the redhead's quarters around two hours ago, thinking that they could spend some couple time together. Recently Renji had been complaining more and more about Shuuhei's work hours so he figured it would be a nice surprise to drop in tonight. Turned out Renji had to stay at work later than he did.

Throwing his tired body onto the bed, Renji grumbled loudly, "Kuchiki-taicho is out sick today so I had to do _everything_ myself today! God I hate paperwork! And this year's new recruits _suck_! How did they even graduate from the academy? Hmph, back in our days-" His words were cut off by a snort of laughter from his lover. Shooting Shuuhei a glare, Renji asked, "What's so funny?"

"Back in _our_ days? Seriously, you sound like an old lady!" Shuuhei said between chuckles. He sat down next to Renji. "Here, sit up."

Renji scooted up to Shuuhei, who lifted his arms and grabbed the redhead's shoulders. "Oh, owwww! Owww! Ohh...ahhhh..." Renji's yelps of pain were quickly replaced by contented sighs as Shuuhei massaged his shoulders and neck. Shuuhei leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the back of Renji's head, essentially burying his face into his lover's ponytail. "Mmmm...you should just retire and become a masseur," Renji murmured, leaning his head back. "Ohhh...oww...ooooh right there...no wait _owwww_!"

"Sorry..." Shuuhei whispered sheepishly. "God, what the hell happened to you? Your muscles are all bunched up!" He continued to knead around the stiff areas on Renji's back.

Renji groaned, half in pain half in pleasure. "We're getting old..."

"Oh ho, speak for yourself mister!" Shuuhei pressed down extra hard, earning another yelp of pain from the redhead. Then he lifted his fingers to lightly trace up and down his lover's neck, watching the tiny goosebumps that followed. He leaned over and licked Renji's neck, sending a shudder through the redhead.

"Mmmm..." Turning around, Renji gently took Shuuhei's chin and pulled him close for a kiss. Shuuhei kissed back passionately, his hands left Renji's shoulders and wrapped around Renji's waist.

"Who's the stupid horny bastard now?" Even in the heat of the moment, Renji could not resist poking fun at Shuuhei.

In response, Shuuhei playfully bit down on Renji's lower lip, which drove the redhead into a sudden frenzy. He shoved Shuuhei onto the bed and roughly pulled up the man's arms over his head. Pinning Shuuhei's wrists together with one hand, Renji used his free hand to grab Shuuhei's dark hair in his fist, then with a low growl he pressed his lips against Shuuhei's. Eyes wide in surprise, Shuuhei hesitated for a split second, then allowed himself to relax and melt into Renji's passion.

"Playing rough?" Shuuhei mumbled when Renji finally broke the kiss. He stared up at his lover's flushed face. Renji's eyes burned with desire, his breathes shallow and quick. Shuuhei's heart sped up as he watched Renji started disrobing almost frantically. "Oi...slow down, I'm not going anywhere-oommph!" His words were silenced by Renji's lips, and he felt a tight grip on his wrists, which were still positioned on the bed above his head.

Shuuhei's heart raced when he felt himself being enveloped by Renji's body heat. The redhead was acting as if he had suddenly become an animal in heat, hungry and frustrated, and Shuuhei was his prey. Renji's body rubbed against Shuuhei's arousal almost painfully, sending shivers of delight down the raven-haired man's spine.

"Hey! Slow down!" Shuuhei's yelps were ignored as Renji continued to attack his neck, his collarbone, his chest... Shuuhei's clothes were literally ripped off his body by Renji's teeth. "Oi!" Shuuhei squirmed in protest, but his squirming simply provoked his lover's lust even further, and Renji bit down on Shuuhei's neck. Shuuhei clenched his eyes shut and bit his lower lip at the sensation that bordered between pain and pleasure. Still, a groan of pain managed to escape his lips.

"Oh my god..." Renji gasped as he suddenly felt the unique metallic taste of blood on his tongue. He snapped out of his frenzied state and ran his fingers gingerly over the bite wound on Shuuhei's neck, horrified at what happened. Shuuhei stared up at him from the bed somewhat accusingly, but he was also panting in excitement. They had never had such rough sex before, and somehow Shuuhei found this more arousing than ever.

The raven-haired man frowned when Renji continued to stroke his neck wound gently while sporting a really guilty look on his face. "This is nothing, come on," Shuuhei said, wanting to continue.

Renji gave him a pained look. "Shuuhei I'm so sorry...I don't know what got into me, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't apologize, I'm not hurt...come on," Shuuhei hissed as his erection throbbed in need. When his lover showed no response other than looking at him like a sad puppy, Shuuhei lost it. He sat up suddenly and knocked Renji down onto the bed. Grasping both of Renji's shoulders and pinning him to the sheets, Shuuhei straddled the redhead's hips. Panting softly, the two men simply stared at each other, saying nothing. The room was so silent that Rikichi was probably sighing in relief next door, thinking that tonight's free show was over. Unfortunately for Renji's neighbor, the game had just begun.

"Here, now we're even," Shuuhei whispered before biting down on Renji's neck, not hard enough to draw blood but definitely hard enough to leave a mark. He heard a loud gasp from his lover and gave a hard thrust with his hips, turning the gasp into a moan. He continued to nibble along Renji's neck while grinding their erections together, knowing how the man liked that sensation.

Renji bucked his hips to increase the friction, causing Shuuhei to groan out loud. "That's it, I can't take it anymore," Shuuhei growled. "Get...get the tube, hurry..." He lifted himself up to let Renji lean over to his bedside drawer. When Renji retrieved the lube, Shuuhei commanded, "Put it on for me."

Probably still feeling guilty for what he did earlier, Renji complied without a word. Squeezing out a good amount, he slathered Shuuhei's length liberally. The slimy liquid slid down and pooled on Renji's crotch, the sudden cool sensation from the liquid caused him to shudder slightly. Eyes tightly shut, Shuuhei groaned in pleasure when he felt Renji's fingers on his throbbing hot flesh. Once Renji was done, Shuuhei spread Renji's legs apart and hooked his arm under the redhead's knees. He gave a rough tug, and Renji slid down a bit on the bed until his butt pressed firmly against Shuuhei. Knowing what was coming next, Renji propped himself up on his elbows. He didn't know if it was weird, but he loved seeing Shuuhei enter him. Witnessing Shuuhei slowly burying his length into his own body was sometimes so arousing that he could come right then and there. But Renji had a personal policy that he would not enjoy his own release before his lover had had his, so he always restrained himself.

Today, however, he did not get the chance to see the process clearly. With a hard thrust, Shuuhei rammed all the way home, fully sheathing himself in Renji's body in a single stroke. Caught off guard, Renji let out a scream of pain and collapsed onto his back. He felt as though his body was on fire, and before he even had the chance to get used to the pressure inside, Shuuhei began to pound, so hard that the bed shook.

"Oh god, Shuuhei...what the fuck...ohhhh...oh god...oh god oh god...ungh..." Renji went from protesting to blabbering as the pain quickly gave way to intense pleasure. He saw stars and seriously thought he was going to black out.

Meanwhile, Shuuhei's pants were getting quicker and louder, with the occasional grunts thrown in between. He had completely lost himself in the tightness of his lover. But even so, he didn't forget to reach down to tend to Renji's need. Renji's flesh felt so hot to the touch that Shuuhei hissed in surprise. For a few seconds his long fingers lovingly caressed the bumps and veins on the delicate organ, then he closed his fist around it and started pumping, slowly increasing the pace to match his thrusts.

"Shuuhei! Oh shit, oh god..._fuck!_" Renji gasped in shock when he was suddenly hit by the strongest orgasm in his life yet. He bit his lip in an attempt to muffle his screams, but they still echoed around the room. He clutched the sheets so tightly that he thought the fabric was going to tear, and he could feel tears beginning to flow down the sides of his face.

Seeing his lover like this pushed Shuuhei over the edge and he grasped Renji's thighs until his knuckles went white. He didn't remember making any sounds but the voice yelling Renji's name was suspiciously familiar in his ears. Sobbing, his head went limp, but he felt himself continue to pulse inside his lover. So he simply knelt there, still holding Renji's knees, and let his breath gradually calm down. Once he felt himself finally soften, he gently pulled out and crawled slowly up to Renji's side.

"Still alive?" Shuuhei whispered as he draped an arm over his lover, who was still heaving. Nodding his head weakly, Renji gave him a crooked smile. For a moment the room was completely silent.

"I...I don't think I can walk tomorrow..." Renji said finally, his voice hoarse from screaming. Both men started chuckling, and then burst out laughing until they got stitches on their sides.

* * *

On the other side of the wall, Rikichi lay curled in a ball under the covers. The thin fabric did nothing to block out the sounds from his neighbor's room, and Rikichi thought he was going to go mad. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe normally, then slowly lifted his right hand from the sticky mess in his crotch. _Shit. Shit shit shit._ Kicking his blanket aside with a groan, he got up on wobbly legs and stumbled to the bathroom to clean himself.

* * *

Further away, at the Kuchiki mansion, a pair of tired eyes stared, unblinking, at the ceiling. Byakuya had been trying to sleep but his mind refused to give him the rest he needed badly. _White...bandana...new..special..._ _Hisagi... _The words repeated over and over again in his mind. His face was burning up from a fever; his temperature had not decreased over the day, and now he felt so weak that he could hardly lift his head off the pillows. The blanket made him feel like he was in an oven, but without them he felt so cold that his teeth chattered. A weak groan escaped the lips, much to the owner's dismay. He hated his body for being so useless. With a frustrated sigh, Byakuya clenched his eyes closed, determined to get some rest.

As dawn gradually broke, the Kuchiki heir finally drifted off to sleep...

* * *

**Serves Rikichi right for spreading the rumors right? The guy can probably make a living off selling audio tapes of their nightly shows. ;) I know I'd buy 'em!**

**So I thought the dividers in the first chapter was a bit much...too thick perhaps? What do you guys think? Which format is better, line dot dot dot line, or just line?**

**Hope to see you again soon~**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Here's the 3rd chapter! In case you haven't noticed by now, I like to cross-reference the stories I've written. For example, Rikichi's rumors began in "Noisy Neighbor", and Shuuhei's 'you stupid horny bastard' comment is from "When You're Not Home". The scarf comment from Chapter 1 hints at a future story that I have brewing in my brain *evil grin*_**

**_Feels nice being able to create my own little ShuuRen universe. ^.^_**

**_And as usual, all review welcome. If you liked it, let me know; if you hated it, let me know!_**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

By the third day of his captain's absence, Renji began to feel uneasy. It was very unlike Kuchiki-taicho to be off duty for so long, and it was unusual for one as strong as he to be ill for so many days. _Should I go visit him?_ Renji thought while absent-mindedly touching his new maroon bandana. Shuuhei had made the bandana for Renji with his own hands—with some tutoring from Ishida—and even though it was a small gesture, Renji was really touched by it.

Wincing, Renji shifted his very sore butt in his chair. Man, they really should schedule such strenuous activities for weekends, he thought. But a smile still crept onto his face. Once again Shuuhei had surprised him. He never would've imagined that his usually-gentle lover could be such a tiger in bed.

_Ahhh...should I visit him? _Renji scratched his head. He had an unusual relationship with his captain; not many vice captains in the Gotei 13 could boast that they'd fought their captains in a serious battle, but Renji had—that one time when he first achieved Bankai and fought Byakuya in his attempt to save Rukia. He thought back of that fight and shuddered. He could've died—no, definitely would have—if Kuchiki-taicho hadn't taken pity on him after Renji survived the attack from Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. When Renji eventually collapsed, his captain had draped his expensive silk scarf, a Kuchiki family heirloom, on Renji's battered body before walking away. Renji still had that scarf tucked away in a dark corner in his closet, a constant reminder that he still a long way to go before his skills could even be on par with his captain's. Although...recently, Shuuhei found a much more, ahh, _interesting_ use for it, but that's another story altogether. After that whole Aizen fiasco, he and his captain came to respect each other; one for his dedication to his duty, clan, and pride, the other for his unwavering will to fight for what's right. Was there bad blood between them? Renji didn't think so. He always grumbled that his captain shoved too much work on him, but when it came down to it, his captain actually bore most of the workload.

Even so, the bond between them was strictly on a professional level, well...that, and their love for Rukia, albeit expressed in different ways. Beyond work, Renji never interacted with Byakuya even though he was best friends with Rukia. So, really, Renji had no idea what Byakuya was like as a _person_. Was he as cold as he was as an officer? Did he talk and eat in his usual formal manner when he was alone in his estate? Renji couldn't imagine having to behave in such a stiff manner twenty four seven. What a prison that must be.

After several more minutes, he glanced at the clock and decided that he would check on his captain after all. Work hours were over anyway, and the paperwork had been completed on time, so Kuchiki-taicho should have no excuse to find fault with his visit.

* * *

Renji spent nearly half an hour at the entrance of the Kuchiki mansion explaining the reason for his visit, then he was frisked for weapons—seriously?—and had to sign some sort of agreement that he would not speak of what he saw within the estate grounds. He felt dirty from the pat-down by the Kuchiki guard and did not hesitate to let his displeasure show, only to be completely ignored.

Finally, he was allowed to stand in front of Byakuya's door. After what seemed like forever, a servant came out to usher the redhead into the room.

Mouth gaping, Renji took in the grandeur of the large room. Although it was surprisingly sparse, its decorations were tasteful and elegant, even a commoner like Renji appreciated the beauty of it. At the very back of the room was a huge bed, and on it lay Kuchiki Byakuya. A _very_ tired-looking Kuchiki Byakuya.

"What is it?" The captain's voice held its usual hint of disdain, albeit not as imposing as usual.

Renji gave a quick bow before saying, "Kuchiki-taicho, I'm just here to see how you are. And to let you know that everything is alright at the squad, Taicho."

His captain's lips curled ever so slightly. Renji supposed that that was the closest to a smile anyone could get from the haughty captain, so he grinned in return.

"As you can see, you're making a fuss over nothing," Byakuya said dryly.

Renji couldn't help noticing that Byakuya's hair was damp, most likely from sweat, seeing that the captain had a sheen of sweat on his pale face. Whatever it was, this illness was taking a toll on the man.

"I think you should see Unohana-taicho, Taicho," Renji said, blunt as usual. His words brought a raised eyebrow.

"I shall take that into consideration, Abarai-fukutaicho," his captain said cooly.

The two men then simply looked at each other in awkward silence. Renji had run out of things to say now that he'd seen his captain, and Byakuya was never one who enjoyed casual conversation, much less initiate it. After a rather uncomfortable moment, Byakuya cleared his throat and offered, "Would you like to stay for dinner, Abarai?"

Renji's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes...yes, I'd be happy to, Taicho," he replied, bowing slightly. Now _that_ was unheard of...Kuchiki-taicho inviting a lower-rank officer to stay for a meal at his manor? Surely this was a record! Perhaps his illness was making him soft.

"Do you not need to have dinner with...Hisagi-fukutaicho...tonight? Shall we invite him too?" Byakuya's next words caught Renji off guard.

"Uhh...no, Taicho. He's staying late at work," Renji said, not able to hide the surprise in his voice. He waited for his captain to elaborate, but Byakuya simply waved his hand and said, "Wait in the hall, my servant will call you when food is ready. Excuse me for not joining you, Abarai. I fear my current...condition...does not permit me to enjoy food like I normally do."

Renji's eyes widened. "Uhh, I'm eating alone? In the hall? That seems...kind of odd, Taicho," he sputtered. "If you don't mind, I'd rather eat here. I'm here to visit you after all."

Byakuya's face was impassive. "Do as you wish," he said simply.

Half an hour later, Renji was having dinner, feeling very self-conscious and totally out of place as he did so. He was seated a few feet away from his captain's bed; the menu was was spicy miso...umm, some type of fish, with, err, an orangey-yellow lump which Renji found quite repulsive. The expensive-looking silver chopsticks felt awkward in his large hands, and he didn't even want to guess how much the delicate porcelain dishes cost. All of a sudden he missed his simple ramen and broiled mackerel.

From the bed, Kuchiki Byakuya threw subtle glances at his vice captain's direction. _Ugh, the man's posture is terrible_, he thought. He could see that the redhead was eating really slowly and carefully so as to not embarrass himself in front of the Kuchiki heir, but even so, the man's gait was awkward and rough. Just like how Hisana was when she first married him, he suddenly recalled, his deceased wife's face suddenly flashed in his mind. The thought brought a tiny cramp in his heart. Even after fifty plus years, Hisana's memory remained fresh, and everytime he thought of her, he would still feel fresh pangs of sadness and regret. He missed her dearly; her soft touches, gentle caress, and most of all, the warmth of her lithe body against his. The five years of marriage they shared were the highest point in his life; no matter how difficult the day was, a single giggle from Hisana would wash away the worries, and one light touch from her fingers would melt away the aches in his muscles. How he longed to have someone by his side again, someone to lean on when he didn't feel like putting up his stoic front.

All of a sudden he felt a pang jealousy. If Abarai and Hisagi were indeed together, that meant that his vice captain had what Byakuya himself did not and probably would not ever have again. Again he felt a flash of anger at the redhead, who was still eating and completely oblivious to what was raging in his captain's mind. After staring at the man for a few more seconds, he suddenly snapped out of it. As fast as it had appeared, the odd anger was gone, leaving him more than a little confused. _Looks like I'm more tired than I thought._ Byakuya decided that he needed the get the man out of his sight, so he cleared his throat and said, "Abarai, I fear I have to hurry you a little...I wish to retire for the night."

"Of course!" Renji said, his voice muffled by the mouthful of rice he'd just shoved into his mouth. He stood up, knocking over the tray as he did. Mortified, he lunged for the tray. His quick reaction saved it, but he still ended up with soup on his robes. "Uhh...oops!" he said, feeling foolish.

Byakuya waved his hand in dismissal, his face expressionless as always. "My servants will take care this. Have a good night, Abarai-fukutaicho."

After a quick bow, Renji hurried out of the room. He quickly swallowed what he had left in his mouth and nodded sheepishly at the annoyed-looking servant, who was obviously not happy at having to clean up the mess Renji left behind. _Staying for dinner was a _really_ bad idea_, Renji chided himself as he left the manor. _What was I thinking?_

* * *

Back in the room, Byakuya closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn't understand why he felt such a mix of emotions around his vice captain. In the beginning, when they first met, it was distaste, as the man came from Rukongai. The only thing that made Byakuya accept him was the fact that the man was Rukia's childhood friend. Then as he came to know Renji better, he felt disdain for the young man's brash attitude and hot temper. And to think, the young man even had the audacity to think that he could surpass Byakuya in battle! Oh, the insolence! But through it all, he had to admit that beneath all those negative feelings, there was always a trace of respect; the respect for the man's determination to overcome whatever obstacles that riddled his path. Renji had pride—certainly not the kind that Byakuya had—but he had self confidence, he was not ashamed of his past, and he would do anything for the people he loved, which was more than what Byakuya could say for himself.

And now...Byakuya couldn't put his finger on it, but what he felt about the man now was something completely different, something foreign that he did not understand. Anger? Jealousy? Why would he feel jealous that Renji had someone? Byakuya had so much more than Renji; he was rich, he was highly-revered, he was the most famous captain in Gotei 13 for heaven's sake! Frustrated and confused, Byakuya sank back into the pillows and let out a sigh. He hated the fact that his vice captain had been the only thing on his mind in the past few days, and most of all, he hated the churn of emotions he was feeling. _I need to stop this_, he told himself, _the 28th head of the Kuchiki clan cannot afford to be bothered by such petty things_. He closed his eyes and let his tired mind drift. The last thought he had before he finally faded into unconsciousness was the new bandana around Renji's forehead...

* * *

**Trouble is brewing in the Kuchiki mansion! Find out more in the next chapter! I promise it'll be here soon~ **

**And as always, drop me a review if you can, the more the merrier! ^.^**


	4. Chapter 4

**__****_The boys are back! _**So I couldn't resist posting this chapter up as well, since I have it ready. 

* * *

**Chapter 4**

* * *

It was now a whole week since Kuchiki-taicho fell sick. Renji heard that Unohana-taicho had made a quick visit to the Kuchiki manor last night. He felt a pang of worry for his captain, but he refrained himself from making another trip to see Kuchiki-taicho. Embarrassing himself like that in front of the Kuchiki heir once was enough to make him want to stay away from the manor forever. He settled for consoling himself that if anyone could heal the captain, it would be Unohana-taicho.

"Oi!" Shuuhei's voice snapped him out of his wandering thoughts. He looked at Shuuhei and noticed the concern in his lover's eyes.

"Sorry, I was just thinking..." Renji said with an apologetic grin, scratching the back of his head. They were lying next to each other on Renji's bed, fingers laced behind their heads.

"About your Taicho, I can tell." Shuuhei said, looking at Renji with a raised eyebrow. "I think you should visit him again. It's common courtesy."

Renji groaned. "I told you how that first visit went. I really don't need to go through that again."

"I'll go with you, how about that?" Shuuhei offered.

* * *

The two men paced in front of Byakuya's room, waiting for the servant who had gone in to inform the ill captain that he had guests. It was evening, and the wind was starting to become a little chilly.

"His garden is beautiful," Shuuhei commented softly, tugging at Renji's sleeves.

"No, _you're_ beautiful," Renji teased with a grin, followed by an "oof!" when Shuuhei punched him in the chest.

Renji was going to give Shuuhei a slap in the rear when the door suddenly opened and the servant stepped out. His hand that was already halfway there froze for a moment before he pretended to adjust his robes. The man nodded at the two vice captains and stepped aside to make way for them. Shuuhei snickered at Renji as they entered the room, and Renji hissed back in mock annoyance.

Then they saw Byakuya and stopped in their tracks.

The 6th squad captain's face was gaunt and covered in a sheen of sweat. Dark shadows under his eyes indicated that the man hadn't had any rest despite being confined to the bed for a week. His black hair was stringy and stuck to his cheeks and forehead, but he was apparently too sick to care enough to brush them away.

"Taicho!" Renji gasped in alarm. Was this really his captain? The man in front of him looked nothing like his strong and proud captain. This man looked so...frail. But the most alarming thing were the man's eyes. Those usually calm grey eyes were red, glazed over from tiredness and... Renji frowned. There was something _different_ in those eyes. No, it wasn't just tiredness, he decided. It was...something he couldn't quite identify. If he must describe it, he would say...perhaps a glint of madness.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked in a raspy voice. He was too tired to speak in his usual formal way. He really didn't want any visitors but he didn't want to have to turn away two vice captains, that would have been too impolite for a noble like him. He figured they'd have the tact to keep the visit short anyway. His eyelids were heavy but he still managed to catch the brief exchange between Shuuhei and Renji at the entrance. An odd flash of anger flared in his mind again. _What is wrong with me?_ He thought in confusion, but he was too groggy to think any further.

Shuuhei stepped to his side and said gently, "We just wanted to see how you were, Kuchiki-taicho." His voice was kind, but Byakuya flinched. _What's this? Why is he speaking to me in such a patronizing tone?_

"Do you like what you see, then, Hisagi-fukutaicho?" Byakuya asked. As the words left his lips, he was shocked at the spite in his voice, but as usual he forced his face to remain neutral.

Shuuhei was taken aback. Sure, Kuchiki-taicho was not the most sociable of men, but he was a courteous one, albeit a little aloof. This was certainly unusual.

"Taicho!" Renji protested and stepped in front of Shuuhei. He instinctively shielded Shuuhei's body with his own, as if to protect him from a predator. And obviously right now he regarded Byakuya as one.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "Protecting your woman, Abarai?" Despite himself, he found himself spitting out those words. He was stunned, unable to comprehend what just happened. Why would he say something like that?

Renji's face immediately darkened, and his scarlet eyes narrowed. "I will assume that you're delirious from your illness, Taicho," Renji said between clenched teeth, struggling to keep his temper controlled even though he felt like socking his captain in the jaw.

"Che." Not trusting himself to speak anymore, Byakuya simply scoffed and looked away. Then he was suddenly seized in a fit of coughs. By the time he was able to breathe normally again, his face was flushed and sweat trickled down along his hairline.

Shuuhei's features softened. "Please take care of yourself, Kuchiki-taicho," he said, maintaining his politeness even though he still felt the sting of the man's insult.

Byakuya closed his eyes and remained silent, his face still turned away from the two men. Taking this as the cue of dismissal, the two vice captains turned and left the room; Shuuhei feeling slightly offended and confused, Renji barely containing his anger.

* * *

"What the fuck is his problem?" Renji pounded his fist onto the table, his face red from anger. "I _told_ you that we shouldn't have gone to see him! The guy has gone fucking mental!" A low growl escaped his throat.

"Calm down, Renji." Shuuhei placed his palm over Renji's fist, his voice low and soothing. They were sitting in Renji's quarters, having just come back from the Kuchiki estate. "The man's really sick. I'm sure he doesn't mean it."

Renji rolled his eyes. "You have to stop being so nice, Shuuhei. I know you always place others before yourself, and I know you always think the best of people, but this is _Kuchiki Byakuya_ we're talking about. The man doesn't just simply _say stuff_, you know?"

Shuuhei frowned. "Exactly. Something doesn't seem right here..." he said thoughtfully.

* * *

Back at the Kuchiki mansion, Byakuya's eyes were tightly shut but you could see the movements of his eyeballs underneath the lids. His head made tiny movements as if he was having muscle spasms in his neck. Sweat dotted his forehead and nose, and his breaths were quick and shallow. The man was unconscious, but images kept flashing in his mind, images that he could not control.

_Hisana..._ His deceased wife's face appeared, her delicate lips curled up in a loving smile. Then that image was immediately replaced by another, this time her face was flushed and her breathing were quick...soft whimpers escaped those lips as she arched her back. Byakuya instinctively reached out his hand to her, but like a cloud the image dissipated. His hand jerked back in alarm as another face appeared. Fierce tattoos extended from thick eyebrows, narrow scarlet eyes stared up accusingly, the mouth held back in a snarl. And the hair...fiery red hair that looked just like flames...

* * *

**Renji's busy being pissed, but Shuuhei is beginning to sense that something's off! What's Byakuya's problem? Find out in the next chapter! ^.^**

**Let me know how the pace is going so far...am I too slow? Too fast? Hope nobody's losing interest!**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Welcome back! Before we get started, I want to give another shout out to my lovely reviewers, Cuzosu, fallowell, and liqiu03! Also a big thanks to Saya and Hagi together 4 ever, yenwi, Gypsygrrl and Eva Galana for following this story~_**

**_Now, *Dum dum dum dum* - Cue soundtrack from your favorite action movie~_**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Quiet rage simmered in Renji's mind as he thought back of Byakuya's words to Shuuhei. He attacked the stack of paper in front of him as if it was their fault for Byakuya's behavior. Shuuhei had shrugged off Byakuya's insults, insisting that they should not take the sick man's words to heart. But Renji knew that Byakuya's words must have stung Shuuhei's pride because he had seemed more somber than usual last night.

_Sick or not, the bastard need to take responsibility for his actions,_ Renji thought, stabbing the paper with his brush, his signature even more illegible than usual. He flicked his eyes towards the clock. He debated whether to confront his captain or not. His logical mind told him that he should wait until Byakuya had recovered before having that conversation, but Renji's hotheadedness and impatience were getting the better of him.

Once the clock marked the end of work hours, the redhead immediately put his things away and left the office.

* * *

In the 9th squad office, Shuuhei tapped the end of his brush on the side of head, his mind obviously not focused on the report he was supposed to be reading. His mind was busy thinking about Byakuya's abnormal illness and behavior. For one thing, it was highly unusual for a person of the 6th squad captain's strength to remain ill for such a long time. Based on the man's condition from what Shuuhei observed last night, it definitely did not look like something as simple as the flu. Plus, someone who prides himself as the head of the highest-ranked noble family in Soul Society would never permit himself to speak in such an uncultured manner, no matter the circumstances.

As he continued to ponder, Shuuhei's left eye suddenly twitched. He immediately recalled what Ishida Uryuu told him during one of his sewing lessons that he'd taken to make Renji's bandana. "Superstition has it that, _the twitching of the right eyelid indicates the coming of good fortune; while the left one is a warning about the coming bad luck_," the Quincy had said. Of course the boy didn't believe it, but they just happened to be talking about common myths in the living world. The discussion began when Shuuhei asked about the cute little cat figurine with a raised paw that was sitting next to the register in the sewing shop.

Shuuhei was a level-headed man, normally he would scoff at this type of things, but given the mystery of Byakuya's condition and what transpired the night before, his heart actually skipped a beat when his eyelid twitched again. He rubbed his eye in an effort to dismiss the silly thought, then frowned when the twitches refused to cease.

After a few more minutes of annoying twitching in his left eye, he pushed his chair away from the desk and sighed. He was probably just tired, he thought as he gave the clock a quick glance. _Ugh. _It was just past work hours, and as if to accentuate the fact, Shuuhei's stomach growled. He stood up and stretched his limbs. Eh, might as well leave for the day...Renji would appreciate a nice dinner together. They hadn't spent a lot of time with each other the past week, what with Shuuhei's regular heavy workload and Renji's extra hours with Byakuya out sick.

He was surprised to find the 6th squad office empty when he got there. Looking around, he found no clue which indicated where the vice captain might have gone. He waited in the hallway for a few minutes, thinking that perhaps Renji had just stepped away temporarily. When a young 6th squad officer walked past, Shuuhei flagged him down and asked him if he had seen the redhead.

"Yes, Abarai-fukutaicho just left the barracks, he turned right when he exited the gate," the officer said, eager to please a high-ranking officer.

_Turn right? But Renji's quarters is in the opposite direction._ Shuuhei scratched the back of his head, trying to think of other possibilities. As he did so, his left eyelid gave a sudden twitch again.

Muttering under his breath in annoyance, he gave his eye a good hard rub, then froze when he suddenly guessed his lover's destination. _The Kuchiki estate._

* * *

After going through the same painful process at the entrance, Renji finally found himself walking down the hallway towards his captain's chambers, led by a nervous-looking servant. Soon, he was standing inside Byakuya's room. The room so dimly lit that he could hardly make out his captain's form.

"Why are you here again?" Byakuya's voice echoed in the large room. His voice sounded hoarse and was laced with impatience.

Renji blinked in the darkness, then finally saw his captain. The raven-haired man was sitting up at the edge of the bed, one hand holding a steaming tea cup while the other was placed gracefully in his lap. Red-rimmed eyes stared into Renji's.

Renji's footing became a little uncertain, feeling uncomfortable. Sure, he had come here with the intent to confront his captain about last night's incident, but once he saw the man, he was suddenly unsure of how to approach the subject.

"Cat got your tongue?" Byakuya asked with a smirk. He placed the cup on the bedside table, his eyes remained locked on Renji's.

Under the intense gaze, Renji felt that odd aura again from those steel grey eyes. The pupils seemed dilated, and even though Byakuya was simply staring at Renji, the redhead felt as though those eyes were trying to see _through_ him. He suddenly had the wild notion that he was being undressed by his captain's eyes, and he subconsciously took a step back.

"Why so fierce? Your woman upset by what I said yesterday?" The Kuchiki heir stood up. His voice was low, and Renji thought he detected slight slurring in his captain's speech.

_Geez. The guy should really get himself checked into the 4th squad infirmary. _Renji thought, feeling more alarmed than angry. Clearly the Kuchiki family healer was not doing a good job at treating the head of their clan. He narrowed his eyes and watched apprehensively at his captain, who was now slowly advancing towards him. The man's gait was awkward, a stark contrast from his trademark elegance. Instinctively, the redhead stepped back again.

Byakuya chuckled. _Ok something's definitely off,_ Renji thought. Kuchiki Byakuya never _chuckles_. "Taicho, I'm going to call someone to take a look at you," Renji said, raising a hand in front of himself in a defensive stance. He felt the hair rise on the back of his neck and arms, his body signaling to him that he was in danger.

"_Why?_" A throaty voice suddenly rasped behind his ear. _Shit! _Renji's mind screamed but his body could not react quick enough to dodge his captain's signature move, _Senka—_where he would move to his opponent's back and rapidly cut off the victim's two source points of spiritual pressure_. _But since Byakuya wasn't using his zanpakutou, instead of destroying Renji's _saketsu_ and _hakusui_, he simply sealed them, hence disrupting the flow of Renji's spiritual energy. Suddenly deprived of strength, Renji collapsed to the ground onto his knees.

Eyes wide in shock, Renji's mind struggled to grasp at what had just happened. With his energy source sealed away suddenly, his felt out of breath, and his heart began to beat irregularly. As he took in ragged gasps, he could hear blood pounding in his temples. Sweat began to trickle down the side of his face. His head suddenly felt too heavy for his neck, and he lurched forward.

* * *

**Stay tuned for the next chapter of Pride!**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Did the last chapter leave you at the edge of your seat? Well, wait no more as here's the next chapter!_**

**_Just a fun note: That superstition about twitching eyelid actually does exist, however depending on culture, there is a difference between the meanings of left eyelid vs. right eyelid. Within the same culture, some cultures even have different meanings for men vs. women._**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

At the gates of the Kuchiki manor, Shuuhei was trying to explain the urgency of his visit. The guards simply stared at him impassively as he repeated over and over again that this could be a life and death situation. Just as he thought he was going to have to unsheath his sword and muscle his way in, a skinny old man hurried towards the gate.

Shuuhei recognized the man as the servant who had led the two of them into Byakuya's chambers the night before. Hope flared in his chest, and he frantically waved his hands to attract the man's attention. To his surprise, instead of ignoring him, the servant went straight up to him and started blabbering, his face panic-stricken.

"Wait, what? Hold on, you're talking too fast!" Shuuhei had to grip the man and shake him before the servant finally calmed down enough to speak properly.

"Something is wrong in Kuchiki-sama's room! I sense terrible spiritual pressure!"

Shuuhei's heart sank. He gave the man another hard shake and asked urgently, "Was a red-haired man here earlier today? Is he still here?"

"Yes! Yes! He is in Kuchiki-sama's room now!" The servant practically wailed.

Shuuhei's breath caught in his throat and he felt his gut tighten. _Shit! I _knew_ the idiot would do something like this!_

The servant's hysterical state and the fact that Byakuya could be in danger prompted the guards to abandon their usual protocols. Shuuhei clenched his teeth in frustration that he couldn't flash-step his way to Byakuya's room because he needed the servants to lead the way.

Even as they approached their destination, Shuuhei could already sense a troubling aura in the spiritual pressure around him. He could recognize it as Byakuya's, but just barely...there was some foreign element in it that Shuuhei could not identify. It was dark, intense and filled with fury. Shuuhei blinked. Kuchiki-taicho was known for many qualities but certainly not for being an emotional man. Quite the opposite, in fact. For someone who could remain calm and act so cold towards his own sister when she was about to be executed, emotional was certain not a fitting description. But now, his spiritual pressure was fierce and overflowing with a mix of emotions that Shuuhei could not believe it was coming from the same man.

With a heavy heart, he reached to his hips for his sword. Always one against unnecessary violence, he hoped fervently that no blood would be spilled tonight.

* * *

"Why are you doing this?" Renji snarled even though he felt weaker than he had ever been before in his life. He was pinned to the wall, Byakuya's right hand around his throat. Just before he hit the floor after he collapsed, Byakuya had caught him by the collar and yanked him to his feet, only to slam him into the wall with such force that the redhead actually blacked out for a second. It had taken Renji a while to regain his breath. Now, the pressure from the strong hand wrapped tightly around his windpipe was making his head swim.

Byakuya leaned close enough for Renji to feel his breath on his neck and ears. "Because there's something I want."

Renji's sight was beginning to blur from the lack of oxygen, but he still managed to spit out, "What the fuck does that have to do with _me_?"

"Mmmm..." Renji's skin crawled when Byakuya's lips brushed lightly against his ear. "Because," Byakuya whispered, "Only _you_ can give it to me."

Renji's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. _What?_ But before he had time to think further, he felt something wet and warm slide from his earlobe down to his neck, then continue down to his collarbone. A strong wave of nausea hit him. The same sensation that gave him so much pleasure when it was done by Shuuhei only made him want to throw up now. He flinched and struggled against Byakuya's hand but only managed to choke himself. He gagged and coughed, his breath ragged.

Then he felt teeth graze the skin between his neck and shoulder. With a loud rip, Byakuya tore Renji's collar with his teeth, exposing the sensitive flesh in that area. It still held the faint mark from Shuuhei's bite from the other night. Renji flinched when he felt Byakuya's tongue explore the mark, raising goosebumps on Renji's skin. He grunted in disgust, and even though he knew it was useless, he struggled again. Byakuya's grip suddenly tightened even more, and Renji started to make choking sounds. The edges around his vision began to darken and swim in and out of focus. "Taicho..." he gasped weakly.

At his moan, he felt the pressure on his neck cease slightly, but his relief was cut short by a pair of lips pressed roughly against his. Sputtering, he fought, turning his head side to side, trying to shake off Byakuya's lips. His movements only served to provoke his captor, who gave him a hard slap across his cheek. Ears ringing, he immediately tasted blood. Despite the pain, he bit his tongue. He would not give Byakuya the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

"Why?" Byakuya yelled, suddenly releasing his hold on Renji. The redhead sagged down to the ground without Byakuya's hand to hold him up. "Why do you not accept me? Why do you not let me do the same things he does to you?" His voice was hoarse, and surprisingly, filled with pain, even a hint of sadness.

Renji looked up at his captain through hazy eyes, uncomprehending. _Wha—?_ Too many unexpected things were going on at once, his tired mind just could not process them all.

"What is it that he has that _I_ don't?" The Kuchiki heir continued to scream. "Why do you push me away? All I want is to have you!"

As Renji's head began to loll to the side, he felt himself yanked to his feet again. Next thing he knew, he was face-down on a soft surface, which he guessed was Byakuya's bed. Although he was groggy, he knew what was probably coming next, so he forced himself to get up. Unfortunately, without his usual spiritual pressure, he was completely overwhelmed by his captain. Byakuya gripped Renji's ponytail and yanked off his hair tie. As Renji's hair came loose, the redhead felt the bed dip, followed by the pressure and warmth of a body on top of him. With renewed strength from his panic and anger, he let out a hoarse yell before a hand clamped down on his mouth.

"_All I want is you_..."

* * *

**Another cliffhanger! Muahahahaha~ *rub palms with evil smile***

**This is a little shorter than the rest, so I promise I won't let you wait long for the next chapter! Stay tuned~ **


	7. Chapter 7

**_Thanks for staying with me till now! I hope I'm doing enough to make at least some of you squirm in suspense~ xD_**

**_Renji's back! He's in serious trouble and there's nothing he can do!_**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Outside, none of them could go within 10 feet of the door. Byakuya's incredibly strong spiritual pressure held them at bay, so strong that even the vice captain could not overcome it. Shuuhei fought to go near, only to end up with a nosebleed from his efforts.

Shuuhei took in sharp breaths as his heart pounded in his chest, ignoring the blood that was trickling down his nostril. The room had been quiet earlier, but all of a sudden muffled voices could be heard. He could not quite make out the words, but the loud voice sounded eerily like Kuchiki-taicho's, which was just unbelievable. He had never heard Byakuya raise his voice before, nor had he ever seen the man become emotional. But this voice...this voice was saturated with rage, and—much to Shuuhei's surprise—pain. He didn't have time to fully analyze the situation as he suddenly heard a scream. This time, it clearly was not from Byakuya.

"_Renji!_" Shuuhei immediately snapped out of his thoughts and unsheathed his sword. Images of his lover's broken body from months ago flashed across his mind—that deep gash across his chest, the blood—he had thought he lost Renji once, he was not about to let it happen for real this time. But he was still level-headed enough to know that he was no match for the 6th squad captain, so a while ago he had dispatched one of the Kuchiki mansion servants to get backup. He just had to hope that the cavalry would arrive before it was too late.

* * *

Renji twisted his head left and right to shrug off the hand that had a firm grip on his chin, but the grip only tightened further, making his gasp in pain. Byakuya had since flipped him over on his back, and now he could see his captain's face clearly. The man's steel grey eyes were glazed over with madness and lust. Renji swore it was like his captain had been possessed.

"Taicho, you're not...being...youself..." He struggled to speak. For the past few minutes, all Byakuya had done was to flip him around and stare at him in silence. It was getting on his nerves. Fighting, he understood; losing a battle, he understood; but being looked at by his captain like this...his mind could not process that feeling. More than once he felt bile at the back of his throat, the thought of what could happen next was making him nauseous. In the end he resorted to simply clenching his eyes shut.

"Won't you even let me...look at you?" Byakuya's voice was surprisingly sad. His brows furrowed in frustration. He wanted nothing more than to rip all the clothes off his vice captain, but something began to tug at the back of his mind, making his movements suddenly unstable. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, which had mysteriously began to feel fuzzy.

Renji sensed the sudden hesitation and took the opportunity to lift his knees to push his captain off his body. Byakuya let out a fierce growl, then, much to Renji's horror, bent down and pressed his lips against Renji's. "Mmmmph!" His screams came out muffled as he turned his head frantically, clenching his lips shut to block Byakuya's roaming tongue. The grip on his chin tightened even more, bringing tears to his eyes. With another frustrated grunt, he lifted his knees again to push his captain away.

"Why won't you give yourself to me?" Byakuya demanded, releasing Renji's lips. The captain's breath was ragged, his long raven locks plastered against his sweat-slicked face. The porcelain skin on his face was flushed, and his red-rimmed eyes bored into Renji's being.

Renji's knees trembled from his efforts to push his captain away from his body. _What the fuck is going on! _This mad man now pressed against his body was not the Kuchiki Byakuya he knew. The noble captain he knew would never behave like this even if he's drunk. Well, but then again he had never seen his captain touch alcohol, so technically he wouldn't know. But whatever the case, this behavior was way too bizarre.

Before Renji could think any further, Byakuya's free hand began to trail down towards Renji's groin. _The fuck!_ Renji instinctively clamped his thighs together to protect himself. His knees slipped, and his captain's weight came crushing down on him. As he struggled to breathe, fingers roamed down his toned abs like spiders, and he shuddered in disgust. He let out a sharp cry when the strong hand wrapped around the sensitive organ between his legs and squeezed. The act was anything but sensual. Like an animal in heat, Byakuya grabbed him; kneading, groping, his movements desperate and rough.

Suddenly, the weight on Renji's body lifted, and he gasped loudly, taking in a deep breath like a drowning man. He pushed himself up on his elbows and was stunned to see his captain stagger backwards, away from the bed. Byakuya had his face buried in one palm, while his free hand was gripping the other as if he was trying to pull it off his face. A throaty growl escaped from the man's lips and he wobbled on his feet.

"Tai...taicho?" Despite having just been attacked by his captain, Renji couldn't help feeling alarmed and concerned for his superior.

"Go away! Run!" Byakuya cried, his voice hoarse and suddenly high-pitched. "Go! Before—ahhh!" He now had both hands clasped against his temples as if trying to block out sounds. "Go!" He gave another scream before stumbling backwards again, his back hitting the wall.

"Taicho!" Renji attempted to rush forward to help his captain, but his knees buckled under him and he fell to the floor. His eyes widened as his captain thrashed against the wall.

"Get away from me!" The Kuchiki heir shouted, one arm extended to keep his vice captain away from him. "Run, before I hurt you!" His voice trailed off at the end, replaced by something that sounded almost like a sob.

"_Run!_"

* * *

Outside, Shuuhei could hear the screams, and this time he could make out the words clearly. He was frantic with worry and frustration at not being able to go to his lover's aide. When Byakuya started screaming for Renji to leave, he felt the spiritual pressure around him falter slightly, and he was able to venture closer to the door. He gathered his own spiritual pressure and pressed forward. Sweat dripped from his brow, and fresh scarlet drops splattered on the ground at his feet. The nosebleed that had stopped temporarily returned, bright blood flowed freely from his nose as he strained his body to the limit.

"Taicho!" He heard Renji's voice. _What the fuck are you waiting for! You idiot!_ Shuuhei screamed in his mind. But he knew Renji was not the type of person who would abandon his friends, even if it was someone who had hurt him and was now obviously in trouble.

* * *

Byakuya thought his head was going to explode. _What are you doing! You know you want this! Shut up! Make it stop!_ Loud voices attacked his mind, scrambling his thoughts to the point that he thought he was going to crack. His body struggled to lunge towards Renji, to hurt him, but his mind screamed for him to pull away. He knew that Renji needed to get away before his brain surrendered to his body, which now seemed to have a mind of its own.

He didn't hear his own voice, but based on Renji's expression he was clearly saying something. Instead of running away, the stupid idiot was actually trying to crawl towards him. _I can't do this! Run! Run!_ He screamed inside, willing his body to back away from his vice captain.

He saw Renji's mouth open and close, but he couldn't hear anything. _Leave! What are you doing! _He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head to clear his mind. The movements only served to make him even dizzier, and his knees threatened to give way.

Just as he was going to collapse, a sudden burst of pain caused his vision to go dark.

* * *

**I couldn't resist another cliffhanger! Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter of Pride! I'm on the roll, so it'll be up here _very very_ soon, I promise! Do let me know what you think! Any guesses what might happen next?**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Welcome back! So I ended up writing a lot faster than I expected, so I'm posting up several chapters today. Enjoy! Thanks again to everyone's who's reading the story!_**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Sprawled on the floor, Renji looked up numbly as his captain's eyes rolled back into his head and his body went limp. A pair of slim hands caught him and Byakuya sagged into the arms of the person who was holding him.

"Unohana-taicho!" Renji gasped in surprise.

Unohana Retsu, the revered captain of the 4th squad, carefully cradled the now-unconscious man. Her signature thick braid hung elegantly on her front. Her blue eyes were soft but her grip on Byakuya was firm. The soft-spoken captain gently laid the Kuchiki heir on the floor. She pressed her palm on his forehead, then lifted his eyelids. She gave a soft sigh and stood up.

"Hisagi-fukutaicho, can you help me carry Kuchiki-taicho to his bed?" The 4th squad captain asked in her usual sweet voice.

That was when Renji realized that Shuuhei kneeling right next to him. In his confusion and shock, he had not felt his lover's presence.

"Yes, ma'am!" Shuuhei gave a quick bow, then rushed to Byakuya's limp form and carried the man bridal-style to the bed.

Renji's mind reeled. Not half an hour ago, he himself was on that same bed, pinned to the sheets by his captain. More than that, he was pinned to the bed while his captain _kissed_ and _groped_ him! He felt a wave of nausea again, then his groggy mind registered a pair of hands on his back. With his mind and body both stretched to the limit, he let himself drift into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Renji!" With a relieved gasp, Rukia rushed towards the redhead and gave him a crushing hug. Her shoulders trembled as she held on to the broad shoulders, her face buried in her childhood friend's chest.

"Oi!" Renji said with a chuckle. He held Rukia in a tight embrace. "Silly girl, I'm right here." In return he received a hard punch on his bicep. He looked at his friend's tear-stricken face and smiled.

"When I heard...I...I was so afraid..." Rukia's voice trembled as she fought to refrain from sobbing. "If you or Nii-sama had been hurt...I...I..." Her efforts failed and she burst into tears. Renji pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, touched by her affection and concern.

Leaning against the door frame, Shuuhei looked on and smiled. Renji would never know how close he was to being severely injured by Kuchiki Byakuya. The 6th squad captain was still unconscious, and was being treated personally by Unohana-taicho herself. Shuuhei shuddered when he thought of what would have happened if the 4th squad captain had not arrived when she did. Thinking back, he was impressed by how quickly and easily the petite captain was able to subdue Kuchiki-taicho. He had still been struggling to push through Byakuya's spiritual pressure when Unohana-taicho simply strolled into Byakuya's chambers, seemingly unaffected by the immense power surrounding the room. She flash-stepped to the back of the man and gave him a quick tap in the back of his head. One second Byakuya had been standing and raving - albeit on wobbly legs - and the next, he was limp in her arms. Despite her slight frame, the 4th squad captain had caught the man easily as if he weighed nothing.

When Renji came around a few hours ago, Shuuhei had nearly burst into tears in relief. The redhead had been out for one whole day, it was terrifying to see the man lying motionless for that long. Of course, being the person he was, the first thing Renji thought of was the well-being of his captain. Unfortunately, Shuuhei was also in the dark himself; Unohana-taicho had told them that she would explain it all to them when she returns from the Kuchiki estate, so they simply had to wait. It was not like Renji had other places to go to anyway, in his weakened condition, he would have to rest in the 4th squad infirmary for a while until his spiritual pressure regained its former balance and strength.

In the meantime, they let their imagination run free. From being possessed by evil spirits - that was Renji's idea - to having a mental breakdown due to stress - Shuuhei's suggestion - all seemed equally unlikely.

"I'm glad to see you in high spirits," Unohana-taicho's motherly voice rang from the doorway. Looking like her usual calm self, she smiled at the three friends as she approached Renji's bed.

"Unohana-taicho!" Renji sat up with a grin. He had heard from Shuuhei about how she'd saved him. If she hadn't released Byakuya's seal on Renji in time, it was possible that Renji would suffer permanent damage. If his spiritual pressure had been sealed for just a few hours longer, the suppressed pressure would crush him from the inside, and he would forever lose his power and could never be a shinigami again.

The 4th squad captain's face turned somber, and she began to explain Byakuya's condition. By the time she was done, the facial expression on the three friends bordered on incredulous. If it had been anyone else who told them this story, they would've scoffed and dismissed it as mad talk.

Apparently, Byakuya's illness was actually a case of accidental poisoning. The trouble began after one of the Shinigami Women's Association meetings, which, much to Byakuya's dismay, tended to happen in secret locations within the Kuchiki estate.

The 12th division vice captain, Kurotsuchi Nemu, had been carrying a vial of a prototype truth serum invented by her captain/creator, the mad scientist Kurotsuchi Mayuri. She had kept the vial tucked away in her robes. Unfortunately, the chairwoman of the association, Kusajishi Yachiru, knocked the vial out of Nemu's robes without either of them noticing. The serum leaked out from the discarded vial and slowly seeped into the ground. As fate would have it, the vial had landed right next to a water source, and that water source - of all things - happened to be private water source for the Kuchiki family. Because of the pureness of the spring water, it had been reserved just for family members of the clan. After the serum was spilled, it gradually contaminated the spring. Since Rukia was not home, Byakuya was the only person to consume the poisoned water.

Unohana-taicho had suspected that something was amiss the first time she visited Byakuya, which was about a week after he first fell ill. She had been puzzled by the fact that he was the only one in the household who was sick. If it had been the flu or something contagious like that, surely at least one of the servants who served him day and night would have caught it. She began investigating other possible causes, and it was not until just a day before that she stumbled across the broken glass vial next to the spring. Recognizing the 12th division symbol on the cork, she immediately confronted Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

"This prototype is a complete failure," the 12th squad captain had informed her. If it had functioned correctly, the truth serum should lower the inhibition of whomever had consumed it, hence inducing a hypnotic state in the person that would elicit mechanical recitation of truth. However in the case of this prototype, it not only lowered the subject's inhibition, it caused extreme cases of hallucination and increase of aggressiveness. The experiment had been a complete disaster, some of the test subjects had ended up mad. Nemu had been tasked with disposing that last vial of the prototype - how exactly, the scientist refused to divulge.

"While the serum triggered severe side effects, ultimately the behavior of the patient still stems from what already exists in the person's mind," Unohana-taicho finished.

Renji's eyes widened as he processed Unohana-taicho's words. If that was the case, that meant that...

* * *

**What should Renji do now?**

**By the way, if anyone's wondering about the Shinigami Women's Association's meetings, I did not make it up! I'm simply referring to what has been shown in the cute omakes (Shinigami Golden) at the end of the anime episodes. And it's actually "canon", because Kubo drew them in the "Bleach Official Bootleg" book.**


	9. Chapter 9

**_As Renji comes to terms with the meaning behind his captain's behavior, Byakuya has to face himself..._**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Byakuya stared at his fingers, which he had laid out gracefully on the blanket over his lap. He was sitting up in his bed, his back propped up by soft pillows. Five days ago, those very fingers had gone places where he never imagined they would ever go. Sure, it wasn't anywhere that he hadn't _secretly_ thought of, but he was absolutely mortified that he had actually done it.

Over the past few days he slowly regained his strength and mind. Servants came and went with cups of some sort of herbal concoction which Unohana Retsu said would cleanse the serum from his system. Unfortunately for him, even though he wasn't in full control of his own behavior in his drugged condition, memories of what had transpired during that time remained crystal clear in his mind.

For the first time in Byakuya's memory, Kurotsuchi-taicho, the one man in Seireitei who was even colder than Byakuya himself, had actually graced the Kuchiki mansion with his presence. The eccentric man was horrified that Byakuya had nearly died from the serum he'd invented. Killing off a few unknown test subjects here and there was one thing, but to kill the head of the highest-ranking noble family in all of Soul Society? Even the mad scientist knew what kind of consequences that would bring.

While Kurotsuchi was there, he had elaborated on the facts surrounding the truth serum. The vial that was dropped on the Kuchiki grounds, being the very last vial, had contained a concentrated dose. If anyone of less caliber had consumed the amount of the drug which Byakuya had, the person would have gone stark raving mad and die within two days. As it was, it had taken weeks of constant consumption of the contaminated water for Byakuya to feel the effects of the serum. Once he stopped drinking the drug-laced water, he began to show signs of improvement within two days, but he still felt a little light-headed. Unohana-taicho warned that it would be weeks before he fully recovered.

Byakuya continued to sit in silence, pondering the future of the relationship between him and his vice captain. Now that he had regained more control over his emotions, he could not believe that just a few days ago he had been so torn up over the man. As he reflected on what happened, he had grudgingly admitted to himself that he did, in fact, harbor feelings for his subordinate. All this while, he had simply chosen to ignore it, but this bloody drug had dragged his deepest darkest desire to the surface and cruelly exposed it. Now he had no choice but to face it. He clenched his fist in frustration.

Just then, a soft knock came from the door. Thinking it was one of his servants, he asked the person to come in. The door slowly swung open, and standing there at the doorway, was the very person he was dreading to face.

* * *

Ever since he learned the truth behind his captain's condition, Renji had been debating what to do. After Unohana-taicho's explanation, it was clear that Byakuya's bizarre behavior had stemmed from—hard as it was to believe—seemingly suppressed feelings for Renji. Renji was stunned, but what else could have triggered the 6th squad captain's attack and..._touches?_ But he was not surprised at all that the man never said a thing. Why would he bother to, since such a relationship would be impossible. Even if Renji did return his feelings, the Kuchiki elders would never condone it.

In the end, he decided to see Byakuya. With his personality, Renji hated to leave things hanging like this for too long. He wasn't looking forward to this particular conversation with his captain, but it was not something the two of them can avoid forever. And it's not like this was the first time they had an awkward conversation anyway. Back when Byakuya was recovering from the injury he'd sustained while protecting Rukia, Renji also had a similar talk with him. Well, would have had a similar talk, if that idiot Ichigo had not barged in suddenly.

When he saw the stricken look on Byakuya's face, he knew that the man didn't want to see him. Renji wasn't at all surprised; he could not even begin to imagine what this incident had done to the man's pride. Renji knew that he himself would feel humiliated if he had been in Byakuya's shoes, and hell, he didn't even have a reputation to uphold.

"Taicho," Renji said after a bow. He could tell that his captain was making a supreme effort at maintaining direct eye contact because he could see those steel grey orbs waver slightly. He decided to be blunt, since no matter what, this was going to be one-hell-of-an awkward conversation anyway. "I understand what happened, and I just want to tell you that I hold you at the same level of regard as I always have. Something like this would never make me respect you any less than before."

As soon as those words left his mouth, he saw Byakuya's tense shoulders immediately relax. Even so, his captain's face remained expressionless, looking exactly like the Kuchiki Byakuya Renji was familiar with.

"I appreciate your kindness, Abarai-fukutaicho," Byakuya said finally, bowing his head slightly as a sign of gratitude. He hesitated for a few seconds, then continued, "I apologize for...for what I did to you." When Renji remained silent, Byakuya cleared his throat. "Since you said that you understand what happened, you must know what fueled my...behavior."

The redhead was surprised at his captain's bluntness. He'd been wondering how to approach this subject, thinking that Byakuya would never bring it up himself, being the proud man he was.

His captain must've noticed the surprise on Renji's face, because he gave a tiny smile and indicated with his hand for Renji to sit down. As the redhead pulled up a chair next to the bed, Byakuya said, "This drug...there's still some in my body."

Renji cocked his head to the side, unsure of what Byakuya meant by this. Then he abruptly sat up straight as he realized what his captain was trying to say. As Unohana-taicho had explained earlier, the truth serum, while not functioning exactly the way Kurotsuchi-taicho had intended it to, was still a potent chemical with the main purpose of lowering one's inhibition. In other words, as long as there was traces of this drug in Byakuya's system, he would have less control over his emotions, hence more likely to be...chattier. Renji's heart raced. His captain wasn't going to confess now, was he? He thought in alarm. _Shit._

Byakuya raised an eyebrow when he saw his vice captain's eyes widen. "Do not worry," he said, turning away from Renji. He knew that it was now or never. Once he returned to normal, he could never _ever_ bring himself to discuss this again. "I'm not asking anything from you, Abarai."

The redhead remained still, unsure how to respond.

After a pause, Byakuya turned around to face Renji. "What I feel, while exaggerated by this drug...is indeed true. But..." He held up a hand to silence Renji, who had opened his mouth to say something. "But please understand that I have absolutely no intention to pursue it. You should feel no obligation to take any action regarding my...feelings." Renji was surprised to see a slight blush on his captain's face.

"Taicho..." Renji mumbled. What was he supposed to say? _Thank you?_ But he did feel relieved, because he had no idea how to...reject...his captain. How does one simply reject the great Kuchiki Byakuya? He knew a lot of people who would kill to be in his position, to be loved by Byakuya. But certainly not him. His heart was already claimed.

"I have not felt this way since Hisana left," Byakuya said wistfully after another long pause. His voice was low, and he seemed to have sunk even further into the pillows.

Renji looked down at his own hands. To hear his captain express his thoughts like this was strange, but it definitely made the man more...human. In a way, this was actually endearing. And to hear that he was the first person since the captain's late wife to stir such emotions in the man was...touching, for lack of a better word. Hell, he felt _honored_.

"Taicho..." Renji said tentatively, watching his captain's expression. "If...if it means anything, I'm very flattered."

Byakuya looked at his vice captain with a start. He would never admit it, but in an odd way those simple words did mean something. He knew that Renji would never say something like just out of pity to console him. He had expected the man to be disgusted, to be angry, to _judge _him for his actions... But this person sitting next to him right now was anything but. And for that Byakuya was grateful. After all, he _had _attacked and molested the man. Heck, if his strong will had not suddenly kicked in when it did, god knows what more he would have done to the redhead. Well, he had an idea, but he'd rather not think about it.

"And thank you, for protecting me in the end. You're the bravest man I've ever known," Renji continued. He saw his captain's mouth curl up ever-so-slightly at the comment.

For a while the two men just sat there in silence. It was a weird sensation, to be able to sit there and actually feel almost comfortable having a conversation with his captain, as if they were just two ordinary men. No barriers to separate them, no fear of judgement, and most of all, no pride to obstruct them.

"Well, I should let you rest," Renji said finally, standing up.

Byakuya nodded. He felt a twinge of sadness. This was it, this was the last time he would be able to bring himself to talk to his vice captain in such a manner. "Abarai, appreciate the freedom you have. Cherish the one by your side." He found himself saying.

Renji smiled. "Thank you. I will, Taicho."

As he watched Renji walk away, Byakuya smiled. It felt strangely good to be able to speak freely of his feelings, even if for a short while. He felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Heh, he had better not get used to this, he chided himself. After all, he did have a reputation to uphold.

* * *

**Poor Byakuya :'( Am I cruel? :p**

**Just a bit left...let's not forget that there's another person in this equation...see you next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

**_This is it, the ending..._**

**_Enjoy~_**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Renji practically ran home. He wasn't sure why exactly, but the moment he stepped foot out of the Kuchiki estate, he felt a sudden urge to see Shuuhei. Perhaps it was what Byakuya said, or the look on the man's face when he said those words, or the realization of how lucky he was to be able to freely love someone and be lucky enough to have that person love him back. Or all of the above.

He glanced up at the sky. It was late evening, he wasn't sure if Shuuhei would still be in the 9th squad office, but the chances were high that he was, so he went that way. The lights were off, though, when he finally arrived at the office. Feeling puzzled, he flagged down a junior officer.

"Hisagi-fukutaicho left half an hour ago, he doesn't seem well today," the boy said with a shrug.

Alarmed, Renji rushed to Shuuhei's quarters at the 9th squad barracks. That, too, was dark and empty. That left only one place.

* * *

Shuuhei ran his hand over his short, spiky black hair. He was sitting up on Renji's bed. His free hand roamed the empty spot next to him, where Renji would normally sleep. The sheets were cold, of course. They haven't slept in Renji's room for a few nights now.

Inside, he was battling unwelcomed emotions. When he realized that Byakuya had feelings for Renji, he began to feel uncomfortable. He wouldn't call it jealousy, since he knew that Renji wouldn't suddenly run off with his captain. Was it insecurity? Perhaps... He was nauseated by the thought because he liked to think that he had more confidence in himself. Still, knowing that one of the most powerful man in all of Soul Society loved his partner made him feel... uneasy. Even worse, he realized that he secretly felt elated that Renji was _his_, that Byakuya's love interest belonged to _him_, Hisagi Shuuhei. He wasn't even aware that he was capable of such selfish thoughts! But like it or not, those feelings were there in his heart and refused to go away no matter how much he tried.

His eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. He knew that Renji was at Byakuya's right now. It seemed like he'd been there forever. _What are they talking about?_ He couldn't help wondering. _Would Byakuya formally confess? How would Renji react?_

Suddenly he felt an irrational fear that he might lose Renji. He was certain that Renji loved him, but...what if! This is the great Kuchiki Byakuya they were talking about here! How could he possibly compete with Byakuya? What if the captain managed to convince Renji to be with him? _That's not possible!_ His mind told him, but his heart fluttered and whispered, "_What if?_" After all, technically Renji had no obligation to remain with him. He was free to choose whomever he wanted. As his mind raced down that path, he suddenly felt a sharp pain and realized with a start that he had dug his nails into his palm so hard that he'd cut himself.

He jumped when the door swung open suddenly. Renji stood at the door, slightly bent over with both arms on his knees, his breath ragged as if he had just finished a sparring session with Ikkaku.

Before Shuuhei could greet the redhead, he found himself crushed in a pair of strong arms. He fought back the urge to cough from the sudden pressure on his chest and stayed still for a few seconds, then he gently pushed Renji off of him.

"What's wrong?" Shuuhei asked, concerned.

In response, Renji simply pulled Shuuhei close and pressed his forehead against Shuuhei's. Then, without a word, Renji leaned forward and captured Shuuhei's lips in a slow, deep kiss, cutting off any questions the raven-haired man was going to ask.

"What's going on? Talk to me!" Breaking the kiss, Shuuhei wriggled away and grabbed Renji's arms. He shook the arms gently. "Oi!"

Renji pulled away slightly. "I'm just...so...thankful," he said, his face unusually serious. "I'm so thankful that I have you, and that I don't have any stupid burdens that would stop me from loving you. I've always taken that for granted, I'm such an idiot..."

Shuuhei relaxed and smiled. He cupped the redhead's face; clearly, his fear of losing Renji was unnecessary.

"I don't need a stupid drug to tell you that I love you," Renji said softly as he wrapped his hand over Shuuhei's.

All the mixed emotions inside Shuuhei's heart melted away at those words and his heart swelled. His hand shot out to grab Renji's collar. Before Renji could react, Shuuhei gave the collar a hard tug and flipped them around so that Renji was now lying on his back on the bed.

"Neither do I," Shuuhei whispered before leaning down to pull Renji into a passionate kiss. He closed his eyes and shuddered when he felt Renji chew on his lower lips urgently. It was as if all of a sudden, both of them felt the need to reaffirm their love for each other, to prove to each other that their love was absolutely real, almost like they needed to make up for what they had witnessed in Byakuya's case.

Renji slowly sat up as he ran his fingers over Shuuhei's raven hair, who lifted himself off of Renji as the redhead switched position. Renji folded both legs under himself and sat on his heels, then pulled Shuuhei onto his lap. Shuuhei instinctively wrapped his legs around his lover's hips to steady himself. Bodies pressed together, they sat there in silence, feeling each other's heartbeats and basking in the warmth of their embrace. Even though they had done it so many times before, this was the first time they were so wholly aware of the preciousness of this act. At this moment, nothing else existed except the two of them; and to both of them, all that mattered now was each other.

Shuuhei closed his eyes and took a deep breath as Renji tucked his head under Shuuhei's chin. The feeling of Renji's hot skin against his own was so raw, so intense, that he shivered. He would die a happy man if he died right then. What had he done to deserve this man?

After a while, Shuuhei slowly let out a breath and began to rock his hips gently, savoring the sensation of their erections brushing against each other. He felt Renji's body tremble as the redhead let out a throaty moan.

"Shuuhei..." Renji held out a hand to slowly trace up and down Shuuhei's thigh, drawing a soft sigh from the man. At the same time, Shuuhei's hand lovingly caressed the tattoos on the redhead's chest. At that moment, their sense of touch seemed to have heightened to the point that even the slightest brush of fingers against their skin sent shivers down their spines.

As Shuuhei continued to move his hips, he lifted Renji's face to meet his own, then began to lick Renji's lips, ever-so-lightly. The redhead moaned, his eyes closed. He parted his lips to let Shuuhei in, who then slowly traced the insides of Renji's lower lip with his tongue. Their kiss was not the deep suffocating ones that they usually enjoy, but rather more tender, almost tentative...as if they were rediscovering each other.

Renji's breath began to get quicker and more irregular with each passing moment. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he grabbed Shuuhei's thighs and thrust his hips forward and upwards to intensify the friction. The pleasure that shot through his groin was so forceful that he thought he would pass out.

"Shhh..." Shuuhei whispered. He was actually feeling feverish with need, and one look at his lover's flushed face told him that Renji was feeling the same way. He wanted Renji so badly that he could pounce on him and fuck him senseless right now, but he stopped himself with sheer will because he wanted to enjoy this closeness for as long as he could.

"Shuu...!" Renji's voice was husky. He, too, was restraining himself, but he was quickly approaching his limit. If they didn't do anything soon, he was simply going to snap and lose all control.

Shuuhei looked at his red-haired lover through heavy-lidded eyes. "Take me," he said simply, his hand reaching behind Renji's head to untie his hair. Bright red hair immediately cascaded down the broad tattooed shoulders.

Renji's grip on Shuuhei's hips tightened when he heard Shuuhei's command. Such simple words, yet so powerful that Renji thought he could come right then. He held up three fingers and Shuuhei immediately took them in his mouth. Renji watched, mesmerized, as the dark-haired man swirled his tongue around the digits and gently sucked on them. Shuuhei kept his gaze locked on his lover, making the act all the more erotic. With his fingers now slick with saliva, Renji reached behind Shuuhei and searched for his lover's sensitive entrance. Once he found it, he slowly pushed a finger in, then two, knuckle by knuckle.

Shuuhei jerked in Renji's lap as he felt himself being stretched, the familiar sensation making the ends of his limbs tingle with anticipation. He arched his back and grind down, then his mouth fell open in a silent scream when Renji's fingers suddenly brushed his special spot. Renji must've sensed his reaction, because those fingers immediately returned to that spot.

"Renji! I need—" Shuuhei cried out, digging his nails into Renji's back, no longer able to contain himself.

Renji withdrew his fingers and spat into his palm before coating his throbbing member with his saliva. In their urgency, the tube sitting in the drawer was forgotten. After he was satisfied that he was slick enough for Shuuhei, he lifted the man's lithe form off his lap slightly.

Holding Renji, Shuuhei did a brief alignment and then slowly lowered himself, savoring each delicious moment. He shuddered as his felt himself stretch then tighten around Renji. He closed his eyes and hissed, partly in pain and partly in pleasure. When Renji was finally completely sheathed, Shuuhei cupped the redhead's face and stared intently into those scarlet eyes.

"I love you...so, so much," he said, his voice hoarse from emotion. Not waiting for Renji's response, he lifted himself and slammed back down in one swift motion, tearing a guttural moan from his lover.

The two men soon worked up a rhythm, their movements graceful yet desperate, their thirst for each other evident.

When Renji felt that he was nearing the edge, he blindly reached between their bodies to search for his partner's erection. As he wrapped his palm over the throbbing hot organ and slowly began to pump, Shuuhei threw his head back and tightened his grip on Renji's shoulders, his nails almost breaking the skin. Warm liquid splattered on their stomachs as Shuuhei reached his climax. At that same moment, his tight passage clamped down on Renji's member, and with a soft cry the redhead spilled himself deep within his lover, bringing their lovemaking to a blissful end.

Spent, Renji let himself collapse backwards onto the bed, pulling Shuuhei with him. As they lay there, flushed and panting, Renji ran his fingers through Shuuhei's hair. Pressing his lips into the raven hair, he whispered, "_You_...are my pride."

END

* * *

**And...*sniff*...that wraps up the story. ****I always find it hard to say goodbye to a story, especially a long one. But I still have a lot of ideas for these two, so there will be more to come! I just love Shuuhei and Renji, and I love being able to create this little universe for them~ *contented sigh***

******Well, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. ^.^ Sayonara for now~**


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